Gardasil Vaccine

I have decided to wait for my 13 year old daughter to get Cardasil, I don't want her to be a guinea pig. When my 8 year old son was an infant they had a new MMR shot they were using and he had a horrible reaction, and I mean almost hospitalized reaction, so now I will wait. She has 10 yrs to get this vaccination and I will wait and see. As far as UT goes my DR. offers it and we live in UT, so call the health department and see if they do it or know of clinics that do.
T.

People can think whatever they want about their daughter's and how sexually active they will be, but nothing is stopping a husband from getting HPV and bringing it home. It doesn't matter if you are a "good girl" and live right, bad things can happen to anyone. If this vaccine is available, you should get it.

As a cervical cancer survivor and sister to a survivor (her cheating husband brought HPV home to her!), I sure wish Gardasil would have been around when I was a teenager! It would have made my life a whole lot simpler! My daughters will definitely be receiving the vaccine when the time comes. Talk to your pediatrician and make sure he does some education with his M.A.!

I live in Utah and this is the first I've heard of anyone saying they don't offer it here because girls don't need it (yeah, right!). In fact, I know people here in Utah who have had their older daughters immunized with Gardisil, so she was obviously mistaken. (Maybe just passing along her beliefs?!) I know my pediatrician's office offers it and I will have my daughter immunized when she's old enough.

K.,

I would suggest it is time for another doctor.
There are plenty of Doctors in Utah that know how important this preventitive measure is. I am interested in seeing what other Mom's say.

With my whole heart,
C.

My niece finished her Gardasil shots last fall and she lives here in Utah. My pediatricians office will give the shots. They gave me the information sheets for my teenage step daughters. I will give it to my daughter if they still have it, she is only 18 months old. Every girl should have that shot.

I agree with all the responses so far. Just because we live in Utah doesn't mean we are in some sort of bubble. I don't have any girls, but if they come along I am planning on getting them the shot. (If it is still around.) I have two sisters in law who are getting married in the next couple of weeks and they both got the shot. My MIL told me (I don't know if this is true or not but I trust her) about a man who got married three times and each of his wives died from cervical cancer. I agree with the woman who said we should have the men immunized too so they don't spread it. Not cool for that one guy to bring it home to his wife! I also say get a new doctor or at least have yours talk to the MA about it. Anyway, good luck!

Hi K.,
It sounds like you need to find a new Doctor that will talk to you about this issue openly and without personal judgements. There are a lot of great pediatric Docs in Utah that aren't preaching their personal views. My daughter will be getting the vaccine before she enters high school.
Take care,
B.

I have never heard of not giving it because they are in utah. That seems a bit odd. I would talk to another doctor's office and see if it is just your doc's office or state wide.

Sooooo not true. Sounds like your MA needs a little continuing education, and you need a new MA. To take care of the vaccine quickly, you could go to a GYN/OB for the vaccine, or a local low-cost clinic, but for sure a new MA. I can't imagine what else they might try to re-educate you about.

I plan to get it for my daughter when she is old enough; my little sister, who is 17, just had it as well. My mom told me the family doc who gave it to my sister said that the only way to guard against HPV is to be a virgin when you get married and to marry a virgin. Because of all the different views out there about premarital sex, and because teenagers do what they want anyway (a lot of the time) I think it is better to take whatever precautions you can to protect your children. Think of it as a seatbelt for their sexual health.

actually when my daughter went to the maturation program they encouraged the vaccine so I think it is just your doctors office check with the health department.

I asked this question on a parenting forum for people who share my religious views, which are not LDS, but still very conservative in regards to sex outside of marriage. I asked whether or not I was telling my daughter I didn't trust her if I got her the vaccine. I HOPE my kids (son & daughter) both choose to wait, but I cannot guarantee that. The response I got from other moms, however, made me think harder about getting the vaccine. They pointed out that even if your child waits, you never know about the person they choose to marry. Even if that person is an outstanding person that you would welcome into the family, some of us (myself included) sometimes make poor choices eariler in life. So, basically, you don't know what your kid is going to do as they get older. And even if they make all the choices you hope they make, you don't know what choices their future partner may have made. And I remember in high school the statistic was that 1 in 3 women will be raped in their lifetime. That is just downright scary. I do have to admit I am glad my daughter is still many years away from needing the vaccine so there will be more evidence to its safety, but I will most likey be choosing to have her vaccinated.

That is strange that your doctor said that because i use to teach in the high schools and I know of several girls that had the Gardasil vaccine. With how kids seem to be and the way the world is I would definitely want to get my daughter vaccinated. HPV is so easy to get.

Dear K.,
I will not give my daughter this vaccine as it is very unsafe. There is a greater chance of being injured by the vaccine than by getting cervical cancer. Please research the adverse reactions of this vaccine. Here are some great articles to start with:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/0...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/1...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/0...

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/three-girls-died--...

It is time for us, as mothers, to take a hard look at vaccines and drug companies. So let us do our research and make an informed decision before we put harmful chemicals into our children's bodies.

That is the weirdest this I have heard. Maybe you should mention what she said to the doctor, so she can get the proper education. I know some woman and teens who have gotten this shot. I will vaccinate my girls..when they are older.

You need to be assertive with your doctors and practioners. EVERY woman is at risk for HPV. Any partner at any time in their lives can pick it up. I think it is ridiculous that boys aren't immunized to protect their future partners. This approach is political BS, not a responsible practice of medicine. You can get the vaccine from the health department or from the planned parenthood organization. Don't let provincial thinking keep your daughter from protection that will last her a life time.

GO MOM!!!
E.